Packaging machine



y 14, 1929 L. H. MOW

PACKAGING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 6, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 amount oz May 14 1929. MORIN 1,712,513

PACKAGING MAcHIfiE Original Filed-Sept. 6, 1925 '4 sneefcs-sheet 2 5' Z INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

May 14, 1929. H. MORIN PACKAGING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 6, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOK m ATTORNEY.

' May 14, 1929.

| H. MORIN PACKAGING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 6, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

91- fl ATTORNEY.

, present invention is illustrated:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine, comprisingthe aforesaid illustrative embodi- Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS H. MORIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, IBY DIRECT AND MESNE A SSIGN- MENTS, TO BRILLO MANUFACTURING 00., OEBROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK.

racnemo monmn.

Application filed September 6, 1923, Serial No. 661,133. Renewed November 10, 192?.

My present invention relates to packaging machines and more particularly, but not exclusively, to machines for assembling for ready packaging groups or sets of various articles which may be of the same or of different characters, and also, but not necessarily, separators or division members which may be located between certain or all of the members in eachsuch group or set.

It is an object of the present invention to devise machines of the general characterl specified above which shall be simple in construction, economical to build and to operate,

which shall be certain and efficient in operation, andwhich shall result in a very substantial saving in time, labor and overhead expenses hitherto required for carrying out by hand or by more or less imperfect and ineflicient machinery or other mechanical agencies, the operations more efliciently car.- ried out by means of the present invention.

In the accompanying specification I shall describe, and in the annexed drawing show, an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. It is, however, to be clearly understood that my invention is not limited to the illustrative embodiment thereof herein shown and described for purposes of illustration only.

Referring to the drawings, wherein the aforesaid illustrative. embodiment of the ment of the present invention;

=b'1g. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, certain parts being shown in elevation;

Fig.3 is a detailed view of a certain portion of the machineadjacent the cam shaft 51 Which is shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of a certain portion of the machine showing the feed and ratchet mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a. section of the machine taken along line PR-T of Fig. 1; .Fig. 6 is a section of the machine taken along line LL of Fig. 1;

. Fig. 7 is 'a section of the machine taken along line YY of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view, certain parts being shown in elevation, of that end of the machine which is adjacent the tables 24 and the sprockets 25.

Referring now to the aforesaid illustra between the levers 10 and 13.' Suitably mounted on the shaft 12 are a pair tive embodiment of the present invention, and particularly to the drawings illustrating the same,-especially Figs. 1, 4 and 5 of the drawlng, 1 indicates a main drive pulley which is operatively attached to the main drive shaft 2 of the machine by'means of the clutch 3. Fastened to the other end of the main drive shaft 2 is a spur gear 4.

The spur gear 1 meshes with a spur gear 5 which is fastened at one end of the main cam shaft 6. The other end of the main cam shaft is provided with a crank 7 to which is connected a connecting rod 8. The com necting rod is provided with aturnbuckle 9 (see Fig. 4 of the drawing) by means of which the length of the connecting rod may be ad usted. At its upper end the connecting rod is pivoted to a lever 10 at the pivot point 11. i

The lever'lO is pivotally supported on the shaft 12 on which is also pivotally supported a three-arm lever 13 similarly connected to the connecting rod 8. At the lower extremity of the lever 13, the same is pivotally connected I is pivoted a pawl 16 about thepivot pin 17 which passes through both the-levers 10 and- 13. A spring pin 18 slides freely in the channell'ed su port 19, the channelled support 19, as here ilustrated, being: suitablyv mounted of sprocket wheels 20. The sprocket Wheels 20 mesh with, and serve to actuate, a pan of endless chain belts 21 for a purpose subsequently to be described in detail. i

The action of the portion of the mechanism thus far described may be briefly summarized as follows: The main drive. pulley 1 may be driven by means ofabelt 22, which is In turn actuated from any suitable source of-power,

not here deemed necessary to be shown. By the suitable operation of the clutch lever 3, pivoted at the outer extremity of the arm 3", which is in turn suitably positioned on any convenient part of the frame of the machine,

the clutch 3 maybe actuated to bring themain drive pulley 1 into operative engagement with the main drive shaft 2, thus causing the main drive shaft to rotate.

The rotation of the main drive shaft 2 turn rotates the -spur gear 4, which gear, in its turn, by reason of its engagement with the spur gear 5, causes the rotation of the shaft 6 to which the spur gear 5 is attached. This rotation of the shaft 6 causes the rotation of the crank 7 which in turn imparts a reciprocating motion to the connecting rod 8. As already pointed out, the connecting rod 8 may have its length readily adjusted by means of the turnbuckle 9.

The connecting rod 8, by meansof its reciprocating motion just described, and by reason of its connection with the levers 10 and 13, causes the movement of the pawl 16, which in turn causes the ratchet 23 to rotate in an intermittent manner. The ratchet 23 being connected to the shaft 12, thereupon causes the shaft. 12 carrying the sprockets to be rotated in intermittent manner. The sprockets 20in their turn bring about an intermittent motion of the endless belt chains 21. I

The endless belt chains 21 pass through substantially the entire length of the machine to the forward end of the same, where these chainslie between the tables 24 and pass over the sprockets 25 which are situated adjacent the tables 24. The sprockets 25 are suitably -mounted on a suitable stand which may be outside and beyond the forward end, of the machine, as more clearly shown in Fig. 8 of the drawing. As already pointed out, and as more apparent from the foregoing portion of the specification, the chains 21 will move in an intermittent manner throughout their entire lengths.

Thesprocket chains 21 and the sprockets 20 and 25 comprise portions of what may-be broadly termed the receivingmeans of the present machine. The receiving means of the present machine comprise means of suitable design and character for receivin from a suitable source of supply compacti le abrasive material, such as steel wool or the like. This source of supply of material is indicated I by reference character 24 and is initiallycarried on the tables 24 at which the operator of the machine is stationed.

Forming further portions of the aforesaid receiving means are a plurality of pockets, buckets or equivalent receiving devices, more clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The buckets or receiving devices 26 aresuitably mounted on and between the chains 21, as

more clearly shown in Fig.5 of the drawing.

Each pocket or receiving device 26 is preferably provided with -a plate 27 which is mounted on a rod 28 through which passes a pin 29. The extremities of the pin 29 in turn lie within and pass through a slot'30 formed in the lower cylindrical or other slotted rod or guide 31 forming a part of each receiving device 26.

Suitably mounted in the framework of the machine, preferably adjacent the tables 24 so as to be adapted to lie directly over an reference character 0. Such compacting means are here shown as consisting of three compacting devices each generally indicated by the reference character 0.

Each of the three compacting devices 0, which are adapted to act successively on each pad or small mass of compactible abrasive material, such as the steel wool referred to in an earlier portion of this specification, comprises a bracket 32, suitably mounted on the framework of the machine, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6 of the drawing. Within each .bracket 32, which is of a hollow, sleeve like character (see Fig. 2 of the drawing) slides a rod 33, at the lower extremity of which is fastened a plate 34. Passing transversely through, and attached to, the rod 33, is a pin 35 extending into the two slots 32 formed in the sleeve of each bracket 32. To the free extremities of the rod 35 is pivotally attached a lever 36 pivoted at the pivot point 37 to the bracket 32, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6 of the drawing.

The other extremity of the lever 36 is attached, as at the pivot point 38, to a connecting rod 39. The connecting rod 39 is pro vided with a turnbuckle 40 by means of which its length may readily be adjusted. The rod 33 has the diameter of the same reduced at its upper end, as indicated at 33'. The reduced end portion 33 of the rod 33 passes freely through the adjustable nut 41, provided with the milled head portion 41'. The adjusting nut 41 is externally threaded so as to cooperate with the internally threaded portion of the sleeve of the bracket 32. Surrounding the reduced end portion of the rod 33 is a spring 42 which is adjustably compressed between the shoulder on the rod 33 at the bottom of the reduced end portion 33' and the lower surface of the nut 41. It will be apparent that by adjusting the nut 41, the degree of compression exerted on the spring 42 and, accordingly, the degree of compression exerted by the spring 42 on the rod or plunger 33, may be varied as desired.

The connecting rod 39 is connected at its lower extremity to a cam lever 43 at the pivot point 44. The cam lever 43 oscillates about a pivot point 45 which is mounted in a bracket 46, this bracket in turn being mounted upon the frame 47 of the machine (see Fig. 1 of 51, as more clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the hereinabove described and t rough the bevel the eompressiont gears 52 and 53. This motion of'the shaft 51 causes the cam 50 to rotate, thus bringing the elevated or raised portion of the cam to bear against the roller bearing 48 mounted in the lever 43. In this way the connecting rod 39 is caused to be reciprocated.

The connecting rod 39, by reason ofits pivotal connection with the lever 36, which lever is pivoted to the bracket 32 at the pivot point 37, causes therod 33 to rise and fall, thus lifting and lowering the plate 34. This action of the rod 33 serves successively to compress and to allow the expansion of the spring 42, which spring isconfined between the lower surface of the adjusting nut 41 and the shoulder on the rod 33 adjacent the lower end of the reduced end portion 33 of the same. When the cam 51 has passed the high point of raised the maximum distance, it allows the plate 34 to descend into the respective pocket 26 by reason of the various connections heretofore described. I It will be apparent from the foregoing descriptionthat by adjusting the screw 41 by operating the miged head 41 of the same, which the spring 42 is subected may be v ried as desired, thus regulatlng the force ith which the plate 34 descends into the pocket 26. It will also be apparent that the pad of compactible material, such as the pad 24, will be successively subected to a series of compacting. pressures by the series of compacting devices 0 comprising the compacting means generally indicated by the reference character C. The intermittent operation of the compacting devices a, cooperating with the synchronized intermittent movement of the ockets 26, readily permits the foregoing esired series of operations to be carried out. i

V For the proper assembling of the particu-.

I lar group or set of articles which it is desired to insert into a single package of suitable arrangement and construction, it is de-' sirable that means he provided for supplymg separating members for insertion or interposition between the successive articles of which each group or set may be comprised. lVhile various types of separator feeding means may be employed for this purpose, I prefer to use the means devised by me and shown in detail in the accompanying drawing. Such separator feeding means, generalits travel, at which point the plate 34 has been 1y indicated byreference character S, consists of a source of supply of separators 57 within a hopper 56. The separators 57 may consist of spacing sheets of cardboard or similar suitable material. At 54, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, I have indicated a hopper containing a supply of cakes ofsoap or other detergent material 55, for a purpose to be more fully set forth, I

hereinafter Suitably positioned in fixed position [between the hoppers 54 and 56 are a plurality, here shown as two, guides 58 within which freely slides a rod 59. The rod 59 carries,

adjacent its central portion, a plurality of nuts 60 and 60 which are suitably threaded to the rod .59 so as to be adjustable longi tudinally thereof. Positioned about the rod 59 above the adjustable nuts 60 and 60'.is-

mounted a spring 61, the lower end of which bears against the upper surface of the nut 60, while the upper end of the same bears against the lower surface of the upper guide 58. Mounted on the lower extremity of the rod 59 is a plate or horizontal compacting element 62.

Forked around the rod 59 between the adjusting nuts 60 and 60' is a lever 63 which is pivoted at the pivot point 64 carried by one of the brackets 65 forming a part of the framework of the machine. The outer extremity of the lever 63 is connected at the pivot point 66 to a connecting rod 67,.the length of which may be adjusted by means of the turnbuckle 68. The lower end of the connecting rod 67 is connected to a bell crank lever 69 at the pivot point 70, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

The bell crank lever 69 pivots about a pivot point 71, fastened to the bracket 72, as more clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The

bracket 72 is fastened to any suitable portion I of the main framework 47 of the machine as a whole. At the other-end of the bell crank lever 67 there is fastened a roller bearing crank lever 69 causes the connecting rod 67,

by reason of its connection to the lever 63, to allow the rod 59 to drop down into the pocket 26 under the action of the compression spring 61. The rod 59, having the plate 62 fastened at the bottom thereof, causes this plate to be forcibly lowered into. the pocket 26 under the action ofthe spring 61.

Forming a further portion of the separator 7 8 are mounted on any suitable portion, as at the top. of the main framework 47 of the machine as a whole. Fastened in the rear of the carriage 77, as by being screwed into the same, isa rod 79, on which is mounted a tension spring 80. The tension of the spring 80 may readily be adjusted by means of the adjusting nuts 81 at the outer or free end of the rod 79.

I The rod 79, adjacent its inner portion, passes through a sleeve 82 which is suitably mounted between brackets 83, as more clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The brackets 83 are mounted on any suitable portion of the main framework 4.7 of the machine as a whole, as by means of the bolts In order that the feeding means just describedmay be successively and intermittently operated in accordance with the needs of the machine, the carriage 77 has rotatably mounted in the same a double ratchet 85, more clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The major ratchet teeth of the ratchet 85, of which two are shown in the present embodiment, are designated by reference character 86,'while the minor or counting teeth, of which some twelve are shown in the present embodiment, have been designated by reference character 87. Also mounted in the carriage 77 is a pawl 88 which is freely pivoted about the pivot point 89 suitably carried by a convenient portion of the framework of the carriage 77.

' The pawl 88 is liept in operative contact against the teeth 87 of the minor ratchet by means of a spring pin 90 suitably mounted in a convenient portion of the framework of the carriage 77 and kept outwardly pressed by means of a spring 91, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The stationary pawl 92, which likewise engages the teeth 87 of the minor ratchet, is mounted in the stationary bracket 83. The stationary pawl 92 is held in position by means of a spring pin 93 movable in a bracket 94 suitably carried by a portion of the stationary framework forming a part of the stationary bracket 95, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The action of the mechanism last described may be briefly summarized as follows: When the carriage 77 moves forward under the action of the mechanism which will shortly be described, in the direction indicated by the arrow A, the pusher plate 76 ejects one of the separators or spacing cardboards 57 from the hopper 56. This separator or spacing cardboard 57 drops into one of the chain pockets 26 and is pushed down into the same bymeans of the pusher plate 62 mounted at the lower end of the,rod 59, in the manner heretofore described in considerable detail. When the carriage 77 moves back under the action of the tension spring 80, in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow A, it causes the teeth 87 of the moving minor ratchet to strike the stationary pawl 92 mounted in the stationary bracket 83, as already described, thus causing the minor ratchet 87 to;v rotate through an angle represented by one tooth.

Itmay therefore readily be seen that for every movement of the carriage 77, required to eject one separator or cardboard 57, the minor ratchet 87 will be rotated one tooth. The pawl 88 acts merely as a holding pawl while the=carriage 77 is on its forward motion away from the stationary pawl 92 in the direction indicated by the arrow A. It is the stationary pawl 92 which, by its forcible engagement with one of the teeth 87 of the minor pawl which is being returned in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow A, causes the minor ratchet 87 to be rotated one tooth for each complete recipro cation of the carriage 77 carrying the reeiprocatable minor ratchet 87 The purpose of the tension spring 80 is to quickly draw back the carriage 77 to its normal position, in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow A, after the carriage has been pushed forward in the direction indicated by the arrow A by means of a mechanism which will now be described, for the purpose of ejecting one of the separators or spacing cardboards 57 from the hopper 56.

Turning now to the mechanism which serves to propel the carriage 77 and the mechanism carried by the same in the direction indicated by the arrow A, 96 indicates a finger or equivalent operating member having the pointed operating end 96' and being pivoted so as to be freely oscillatable about the upper end of the lever 97. The lever 97 is free to rotate about the pivot point 98, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The lower end of the lever 97 has fastened thereto a connecting rod 99 at the pivot point 100. The length of the connecting rod 99 may readily be adjusted by means of the turnbuckle 101, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The other end of the conneeting rod 99 is fastened to the lever 13 at the point 15, in the manner described in an earlier portion of this specification.

The finger or equivalent operating member 96 is pivoted to the upper end of a lever 97 mechanism inoperative after a predeterminednumber of separators or spacing cardboards have been ejected from the hopper 56, is

pressed upwardly into normal or operative position by means of the compression spring 105. In this position of the rod 104 and its associated spring 105, the finger 96 and its operating point 96 are in a position to cause the reciprocation of the carriage 77 and the mechanism carried thereby for ejecting suc cessive separators or spacing cardboards 57 from the hopper 56. I

The operation of the mechanism just described may briefly be summarized as follows: The connecting rod 99, by means of its operative connection with the lever 13 at the pivot point 15, imparts an oscillating motion to the lever 97 which carries at its upper end the finger or equivalent reciprocating means 96. This causes the finger 96' to be moved in a reciprocatory manner in a line with the arrow A. The forward or operating end 96' of the finger 96 is normally kept in operative position so as to engage the indented forward end 106 of the carriage 77. In this manner the desired reciprocatory motion is supplied to the carriage 7 7 the pusher 76, and the other mechanism carried by the carriage 77.

The reciprocating pusher in its turn serves to eject a spacing cardboard 57 from the hopper 56. It will of course be apparent that if, by any suitable means, the forward or operative end 96' of the finger 96 is moved out of alinement with the indented portion 76 of the carriage 77 the reciprocating mechanism for the carriage 77 and the pusher 76 and the other portions of the mechanism carried by the carriage 77 will be rendered inoperative, and the carriage 77 and the parts carried thereby will not be moved forward. Thus no spacing cardboard or separator 57 will be ejected from the hopper 56.

Turning now to the means which I have shown for'intermittently rendering the reciprocating. means for the carriage 77 inoperative, so as to prevent the ejection of a spacing carboard 57 from the hopper 56, in accordance with the demands of the machine, 107 indicates a lever fastened to a pivot 108 carried by any suitable portion of the framework of the machine. The outer end 107 of the lever 108 is fork-shaped so as to straddle the rod 104 adjacent but above the nut 109 carried by the rod 104. The other arm 110' of the lever 107 is also fork-shaped and bears directly against the under side of the pin 29 of the particular pocket 26 which may be in the position indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The third arm 111 of the lever 107 has pivoted to it at the pivot point 112 the connecting rod 113 the length of which may readily be adjusted by means of the turnbuckle 114. r. r

The lower end of the connecting rod 113 is connected at the pivot point 115 to a lever 116 which rotates freely on the pivot point 117 and has rigidly fastened to it the bell crank lever 118. The bell crank lever 118 is pro vided at its outer end with a roller bearing 119 rotating freely on the pin 120. The low- 7 er end of the bell crank-lever 118 is provided with-a pin 121 to which is attached the tension spring 122. The. other end of the tension spring 122 is hooked over a rod 123 which is suitably mounted in any convenient portion of the main framework 47 of the machine as a whole. 7

The action of the mechanism just described may be briefly summarized as follows: As i more clearly shown in Fig.2 of the drawing, the cam 124, which is mounted for rotation on the cam shaft 6, by its rotation causes the bell crank lever 118 to move in one direction. The movement in one direction of the bell crank lever 118, by its connection with the lever 116, the connecting rod 113 and the lever 111, causes the end 107' of the lever 107 to move downwardly so as to come into operative contact'with the nuts 109 on the connecting rod 104. The other end 110 of the lever 107 acts to raise pin 29 in the pocket 26. This action in turn raises the wardly.

It will be apparent that should there be any material in the pocket 26 at the time the action just described takes place, the end 107' of the lever .107 would not reach down far enough plate 27 upto strike the nuts 109. Accordingly, the o erative end 96 of the finger 96 would not .e raised out of line with the indented portion 106 on the carriage 77. In this condition of the machine, therefore, the reciprocatory movement-of the finger 96 in the direction indicated by the arrow A, through the agency of the various mechanisms heretofore de scribed, would cause a separator or spacing cardboard 57 to be ejected from the hopper 56 on top of the material within the pocket 26. On the other hand, if there is no material within the pocket 26, the operative end 96' of the finger 96 would be raised, by means of I shall now describe what may be termed the detergent feeding means which serves to feed a piece of detergent material, such as a cake of soap, for every predetermined number of compacted pads of abrasive material. While various types of detergent feeding means may be used in connection with the present invention, I prefer to use the means shown in the accompanying drawing and comprising a pusher 125 which is immediately below the lower open end of the hopper 54 which contains the source of supply or cakes of soap or other detergent material.

The pusher 125 is free to slide back and forth on a channel plate 125 secured, intermediate the frame sides 47, to thelower end of the hopper 54 in the direction indicated by the arrow A. The pusher 125 is normally maintained in a position closing the lower end of the hopper 54 by means of the compression spring 126 mounted on a rod 127. The tension of the spring 126 may readily be adjusted by means of the nuts 128 mounted on the rod 126.

Pivotally attached to the pusher 125 at the pivot point 129 is a connecting rod 130. The inner end of the connecting rod 130 is pivotally attached at the pivot point 132 to a slide 131. The slide 131 is provided with a hookshaped portion 133 on its bottom surface. The hook-shaped portion 133 is arranged to engage with the teeth of the major or stationary ratchet 86. a

It will be apparent that after the minor or movable ratchet 87 has been actuated through a predetermined number of teeth, here six in number, one of the teeth of the major or stationary ratchet 86 will be turned into a position in line with the tooth-shaped portion 133 on the slide 131. In the position of the mechanism just described, when the carriage 77 is actuated forwardly in the di' rection indicated by the arrow A, one of the teeth of the major ratchet 86 will engage with the tooth-shaped portion 133 of the slide 131.

In this way, by means of the various connections already described, the pusher 125 will be actuated outwardly and into such a position as to allow a cake of soap or other de tergent material 55 to drop from the hopper '54 onto the plate 125. i V

The return of the carriage 77 in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow A will allow the spring 126 to actuate the pusher 125 also in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow A. This operation of the pusher 125 will serve to close the lower open end of the hopper 54 and the inner edge of the pusher will act also to push the cake of soapor other detergent material on the plate 125 in a line with the particular pocket 26 which it will fall into. The cake of soap or other detergent material 55 will now bestamped down into place by means of the plate 62 mounted on the rod 61 actuated as already described in an earlier portion of this specification,

I shall now describe the means for ejecting the successive articles from the succession of chain pockets 26. While various means may be employed for this purpose, I prefer to use the means shown in the accompanying drawing and comprising a slide 134 provided with a slot 134 adjacent one end of the same, and provided at its other end with a pivot 135 'for attachment to a lever 136. The lever 136 is free to oscillate about a pivot 137 mounted on any suitable portion of the framework of the machine. The lower end of the lever 136 is pivotall attached at the pivot point 138 to a connecting rod 139. The connecting rod 139 has mounted on the same a roller bearing 140 for engagement with a cam 141 mounted on the cam shaft 6. The slide 134 is provided adjacent its outer end with a groove 142 arranged to fit over pin 29 forming a part of each chain pocket 26.

The action of the mechanism just described may briefly be summarized as follows: The cam 141, by reason of its rotation in the manner heretofore described, causes the connecting lever 139 to move with a reciprocating motion, thus swinging the lever 136, which is in its turn connected with the slide 134. The slide 134 allows the pin 29 to slide into the groove in this slide and the motion of the cam 141, throu h the various connections already described, forces the plate 27 into the pocket 26, thus ejecting the finished article onto the table 143.

The operation of the machine as a whole will be substantially clear from the foregoing description and may be briefly summarized as follows: The machine is started by actuating the belt 22 from any suitable source of power not here deemed necessary to be shown. The actuation of the belt 22 causes the 'rotation of the belt pulley 1 carried by the shaft 2 and thus, in the manner described in the previous portions of this specification, actuates the various component parts of the machine. The receiving means, comprising the pockets 26 and associated mechanism, are carried by the endless chain belts 21 actuated by the sprockets 20 and 25. By means of the feed and ratchet mechanism already described, the sprockets 20 and 25, and thus the endless belt chains 21 and the pockets 26 carried by the same, are given an intermittent motion for purposes already described in earlier portions of this specification.

The operator, standing adjacent the tables 24 on which is heaped a mass 24' of the compactible abrasive material, preferably in filamentary form, such as the steel wool already referred to, selects a predetermined amount of this material and inserts the same into an empty pocket 26 before such pocket has reached the series of compressors c. The amount of the material selected by the operator for insertion into the successive pockets 26 before the same have reached the compressors cwill depend, of course, upon the size which it is desired that the final pad of compacted abrasive material shall have. The pocket 26 containing the uncompacted abrasive material, which has preferably been inserted when the pocket 26, together with the sprockets 20 and and the chains 21 intermittently actuating the same, are momentarily at rest, now passes under the series of compressors c by means of which the material in the pocket 26 is subjected to a series of successive compacting actions. As already stated, the successive compactors are intermittently operated and are actuated by a regulatable spring action at the moment when the respective pockets lying under the plungers 34 of the compressors c are momentarily at rest.

The pockets 26, now containing the compacted abrasive material, pass to that part of the machine where they are to receive the separator members from the separator feeding means comprising the hopper 56-containing the separators or spacing cardboards 57.

' Here, by the means already described operatmg in the manner previously set forth, a separator 57 is ejected from the hopper 56 and is placed in the pocket 26 on top of the pad of compacted abrasive material. Here the separator 57 is firmly pressed down into place by means of the intermittently operated plunger or compactor 62. As already previously indicated in an earlier portionof this specification, no separator or spacing-card board is ejected from the hopper 56 into the pocket 26 when the same contains no compacted abrasive material.

In the event that the pocket 26 cpntains no pad of compacted abrasive material, which is brought about by the operator of the machine intentionally omitting to place some of the atrasive material in the pocket 26 and which omission takes place every predetermined number of pockets corresponding in this case to every seventh pocket,tl1e means already described for rendering the separator feeding inechanism inoperative are actuated to eject a cake of soap or other deterpad of gent material from the hopper 54. The

plunger of compactor 62 is then actuated in the manner already described to properly position the cake of soap 55 at the bottom of its respective pocket 26. k

In their further travel, the successive pockets 26 come into alinement with the'ejector mechanism 134. By the means already described in an earlier portion of this specification, the ejector 134 is intermittently actuated to eject the finished articles from the pockets 26 onto the table 143. It will be noted that, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, .the finished package or set of articles comprises six pads of compacted abrasive material, six separators or spacing cardboards separating the six pads of compacted abrasive material, with one of the separators or spacing cardboards on one ofthe outer s1des of the fimshed package or group of articles, and a cake of soap or other detergent material on the other outer side of the finished package or group of articles.

The advantages of the foregoing invention as exemplified in the above-described embodiment are numerous and of great practical importance. By means of the present invention I am enabled in an expeditious and certain manner to package or arrange groups or sets of various articles, which'may be of the same characteristics, but which, in the present embodiment of the machine, are shown to be of three different types, comprising compactible material, spacing members,

and cakes of soap or other detergent or other material. The machine is simple in construction and economical to build and to operate. It is at the same time certain and efiicient in operation and results in a very substantial saving in time, labor, material and overhead expenses hitherto required for carrying out by hand or by other more or less inefiicient machinery or other mechanical means the operations more efficiently carried out by the machine of the present invention.

What I claim is V l. In a packaging machine, ejecting mechanism comprising a sliding carriage, means for operating said carriage in one direction, a support, a rod fixed to said carriage and slidable in said support, a shoulder onthe outer end of said rod, and an expansion spring interposed between said shoulder and said support.

2. In a packaging machine, ejecting mechamsm comprising a sliding carriage, means for operating said carriage in one direction, a pusher plate carried by said carriage, a second pusher plate, and means actuated by the return of said carriageat predetermined intervals relative to the operation of said first .mediate said ratchet and said second pusher plate whereby the latter is operated at predetermined intervals relative to the operation of said first named pusher plate.

4. In a packaging machine, ejecting mechanism comprising a silding carriage, means for operating said carriage in one direction, a pusher plate carried by said carriage, a second pusher plate, a support, a rod connected to said second pusher plate and slidable in said support, a projection on said rod, a cam wheel rotatably mounted on said carriage,

and means actuated by the return of said carriage whereby said cam wheel is engaged with said projection at predetermined intervals relative to the operation of said first pusher plate to actuate said second pusher plate.

5. In an assembling and packaging machine, a plurality of receiving devices for receiving compactible abrasive material, a plurality of compacting devices, and means for intermittently advancing said receiving devices to bring successive receiving devices into operative relation with respect to said compacting devices successively, whereby-the compactible abrasive material in each receiving device is successively subjected to a succession of compactin pressures, in combination with means for 'eeding separator members into said receiving devices successively, said separator feeding means comprising a hopper containing a supply of separators, means for ejecting a separator from said hopper, means for operating said ejecting means, and means for rendering said last named means inoperative toprevent the ejection of a separator from said hopper into a particular receiving device when the latter has no abrasive material therein.

In testimony, whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 8th day of August, 1923.

LOUIS H. MORIN. 

